Misery's Song
by SometimesItSucks
Summary: A story set in the same universe as the original work, but it will not be following any of the original cast from Black Bullet. Instead this story will take place on the other side of the world, in America, following the life of a young and up and coming promoter as he struggles to find himself and the reason why he became a promoter in the first place. Rated M for convenience.
1. Chapter One

**Authors Note:** _A story set in the same universe as the original work, but it will not be following any of the original cast from Black Bullet. Instead, this story will take place on the other side of the world, in America, following the life of a young, up and coming promoter as he struggles to find himself and the reason why he became a promoter in the first place. Completely all OC so if you're looking for works that involve the characters from the original source, this is probably not for you._

* * *

 **100th & 101st**

A young man strapped with firearms, wearing a baseball cap, and holding a silver suitcase in his right arm casually approached a dying streetlamp. He placed his free hand on the pole and looked up at the faint but persistent light. Yawning, he set down the suitcase and began to stretch his arms. He pulled out his phone, checked it momentarily and then kneeled down, opening his suitcase. Inside it were the parts to assemble a sniper rifle, along with ammunition and what appeared to be square objects of some sort. He quickly worked at assembling it, and in the distance gusts of wind began to develop towards his direction.

With the rifle readied and loaded, the young man set it upon his suitcase, angling it up into the sky. He looked at his phone once more and pressed in his right earbud before putting it back into his pocket. Apart from the occasional gust of wind, nothing moved as he laid sprawled out, finger on the trigger of his rifle and eye against the scope, for nearly an hour. Suddenly, the wind picked up incredible speed and force, and his cap was blown off eastward. It was in that moment he fired, and in that moment, a piercing shriek from above broke the silence of the night.

Taking one more quick glance at the sky, the young man grabbed the suitcase and jumped out of the street lamp's light. He waited, and before even minutes could pass, a large, insect monster crashed into the spot he had just been in. Momentum took the creature some dozen meters skidding across the concrete. A faint, yet large trail of purple ooze followed it. As it came to a stop, the sound of glass shattering was heard throughout the soundless city. The delicate light that tried so unyieldingly to brighten this hopeless city had finally been extinguished.

With a sigh of relief, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. No matter how many times he did this, how many he killed, it was always a nerve-racking experience. With his work finished, he threw the suitcase over his back and turned away from the Gastrea corpse. As he started walking, he could feel a slight sensation gathering below his feet. He stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow in apparent frustration. The ground around him began to shake violently without warning. Suddenly, from behind him, rock and dust shot out from the ground. He turned and jumped far back. The dust cleared away from the air, yet nothing was there behind it. Looking down, the young man noticed that the ground where he had just been standing was missing. He approached the sudden hole cautiously, wary of feeling another vibration from the ground. He reached the hole without sensing any, at least not anywhere near him. Peering down at the hole, he saw two red dots deep below. The dots disappeared and then reappeared like a blink, and then he knew. He turned to run but the creature that had hidden itself in that hole shot back out of the Earth, and the wind that its ascent created knocked him onto his stomach.

"Shit!" He scrambled to get back to his feet but before he was even able to take three steps he was knocked back again by another wave of air. The large, worm-like, insect that just popped out of the ground had burrowed another hole where the young man was just laying down. But what he hadn't noticed through the dust that kicked up was that its tail end was still above ground. Slicing through the dust, it slammed into the ground some inches from where he sat. Seeing the creature's lower end so up close he realized it was no worm; claws about the size of an average human were growing from the sides of its plate-like body.

"A fucking centipede Gastrea?!" Shouted out the young man in disbelief. But he had no time to be shocked, it had already completely disappeared back into the Earth and was about to pop out again underneath him. He took off sprinting at full speed until he was a considerable distance away from the insect. Hiding behind what was left of the wall of a house, he peeked over it to see if the Gastrea was following him. Instead, he saw the centipede-like creature simply swaying from side to side, confused as to where he had gone. He loosened up, glad that for the time being he was safe. Still, he kept an eye on the Gastrea so it wouldn't disappear from his sight.

"How am I going to kill to this thing…" he thought out loud, "From the looks of the plates on its body, I don't think varanium bullets will get through, and even if they do, how many damn rounds do I have to waste on that thing?" Desperate to find a solution, he took his eyes off the Gastrea for a moment and undid the lock on his suitcase. His eyes and attitude perked up when he saw it, bombs packed with varanium. He chanced another look at the Gastrea, and what he saw sent his temporary happy mood packing, well, it was more like what he didn't see. The Gastrea was gone, and he was starting to faintly feel the slight vibrations of it burrowing underground. In a panic, he pushed the activation cylinder on the bombs and set them all to explode in twenty-five seconds. Although he'd prefer not to do this, he had no choice but to leave his suitcase behind with the bombs, he needed to be light as possible while he ran away. He cursed, knowing now it was all or nothing. With blazing speed and adrenaline coursing through his veins, he sprinted as fast and as far as he could away from the explosives and the incoming Gastrea. As he ran, an odd feeling of nostalgia went over him, and despite his current situation, he couldn't help but grin like a kid.

After nearly a hundred meters, he heard the Gastrea rising up, swallowing whole the ground, suitcase, and bombs from where he had just been. The young man gulped nervously hoping his plan would work. Now all he had to do was wait. The centipede, obviously confused again, swayed in place as it tried to discern where it's prey had gone, unaware of what was potentially about to happen.

8… 7… 6… 5… He placed his hands over his ears... 2... 1… BOOM!

A flash, an echoing shriek, and a ear shattering blast nearly disorientated the young man as he looked on at the explosive display. The upper half of the Gastrea flew into the night sky and then came smashing into the ground on some rubble. Its lower half erratically slithered out from the Earth, blood and organs gushing out, until it finally ceased to squirm.

The young man stood completely motionless with a shocked expression on his face, trying to take in everything that had just happened to him. Then, a wide smile formed on his lips and he shouted with the last of his vigor, "FUUCK YEAAH!" Feeling drained and breathless, he allowed himself to collapse onto his back, gazing up at that still barren night sky. The young man pulled out his phone once more and made a call.

"Nico Emery reporting to Headquarters. Two level two Gastrea needing to be disposed of in the South Boston area. Also requesting pick-up at the sight of the scene, sending coordinates now."


	2. Chapter Two

**Authors Note:** _I forgot to mention it before, but the first three chapters were written prior to my publishing this. Just a heads up!_

* * *

 **Promotion**

"Yo, Nico! Nice fucking work yesterday, we saw that shit on the surveillance tape from the satellites."

Staggering into the office with a half-eaten sandwich in hand and a tired and irritated expression was Nico Emery. Just 19 years old, a year into becoming a Civil Security Officer-in-training, Nico had single-handedly amassed 101 confirmed Gastrea kills. Such a feat was unheard of for an Officer-in-training, it was practically suicide to chase something like that without being a Promoter. Coincidentally, what it took to become a Promoter, at least according to what was left of the National Defense Administration, was either the feat of 100 confirmed Gastrea kills or wallowing around in the business until they thought you were ready. Nico decided on the latter.

"Thanks, Doug… But why do I have to come in so damn early?" Nico asked before he crashed onto the couch. "Especially after last night, and no one else is even in right now!" His words were barely comprehensible because of the half-finished sandwich in his mouth.

Doug, the man who greeted Nico as he walked in, was his supervisor, his boss. A retired promoter, Doug lost his left arm in a fight against a level four Gastrea. Now he simply did paperwork and instructed and advised Nico and other future promoters of the company. Whenever the new year's rookies got to meet him, most were intimidated just from laying eyes on him. At 6'5, with rugged facial hair and bulging muscles, he was naturally an imposing figure. Despite appearances, Doug was considerably lax and casual with his subordinates. After all, he had been in their positions before. More than anything, this job was taxing both physically and emotionally, and most of these trainees were kids straight out of high school, they needed guidance too, not just authority. He understood that better than anyone.

"Because of this." Doug tossed a small envelope over to Nico, "Don't tell me you forgot already?" He grinned and looked at Nico proudly, "Congratulations, rookie. Or should I say Promoter?"

"Damn, I forgot about this after that mess last night," Nico replied. With a sudden burst of energy, he sprung up from the couch and tore open the envelope, "This means better pay and benefits right?" Quickly scanning over the folded paper, Nico was left with a look of curiosity and confusion on his face. "What's this stuff about Initiators and IP rankings?"

"I'm surprised you don't know, it's like you don't care about anything aside from killing Gastrea…" Doug scratched at his head, "Then again, that's not such a bad thing. Anyways, you'll find out eventually about IP rankings, as of right now, they aren't that important, nor are they too reliable. But, an Initiator is going to be your partner. I know you have a preference for working solo, but frankly, you have no say in the matter. You know about the Cursed Children, right?" Doug's voice turned a serious tone.

"You know all I care about is getting my pay," Nico ignored the comment about his loner tendencies, "and you mean the little girls with superpowers? What about… wait, those are the Initiators?"

"Yeah, we managed to pull some strings cause of your prowess in the field, so you get to pick your own instead of having the IISO assign you one like how it's typically done. This is gonna be an incredibly important decision, I absolutely cannot stress this enough, whatever Initiator you choose can determine whether or not you live or die in certain situations. But, don't worry, I wouldn't have let you pick if I thought you were gonna fuck up. Betting on you always makes me a ton of cash anyways." Doug pulled out a large wad of cash from one of the office drawers and winked at Nico. "Anyways, just head over to the outer district whenever you're ready, directions are on the papers. They keep the kids over there."

The irritation that was on Nico's face earlier was back, but this time not from exhaustion. He was unhappy about the idea of having to partner up with an Initiator, with anyone even, and of having to take care of a little kid. Taking care of kids was a pain in the ass to Nico, but frankly anything aside from that required effort, aside from his job, was a pain. "Can't I just leave the kid over there and pick them up whenever I get another job?"

Doug sighed and furrowed his brows. "No. It's imperative that your Initiator is with you or nearby at all times, incase of emergencies there's no time for you to waste to go get them."

Nico wasn't about to give up quietly, he was going to fight this no matter what. "Well, I can just find a foster home or some place to dump 'em nearby right?"

A deep frown came over his supervisor's face, "That idea is so fucking stupid, I can't even disagree with it."

"What do you me-"

"Well, you'll find out eventually. Anyways, if you don't have an Initiator by Thursday morning, I'm firing you. Bring her with you to the office or else I won't believe you." He was glaring at Nico now.

The soon-to-be Promoter twitched. "You won't really fire me, right? You're just messing aroun-" Nico gulped. Doug's cold stare was enough to strike terror into a lion, humans like Nico were no exception. Sighing, he took in a big breath. "Fine, I'll do it."

When Nico got up to leave, Doug gave him a wide smile full of malice. On his desk, he was squeezing his stress toy, and the fluff inside began to ooze out the tears along its seams.

On the way out of the office building Nico started to read over the letter again. "Blah, blah… Due to your accomplishments so far, your IP rank will begin at five thousand and si- Oh!"

With all his attention focused on the letter Nico managed to bump into someone, but before he could say sorry, the person, whoever it was, was already halfway into the building. From the poor lighting and distance, he couldn't make out much about their appearance, so he ignored it and went back to the letter.

Nico headed back to his apartment first, apparently they sent some paperwork to his address that he'd have to get ready before anything else. As it turned out, receiving an Initiator, or choosing one in his case, was a very tedious process. And Nico knew if he didn't get them done right away, he probably wouldn't touch them for at least a week, and then Doug would have his head.

It was a decent and relatively cheap place located on the floor above a local bakery. Nico was a part time worker there when he wasn't hunting Gastrea, and his pay typically went towards his rent. Technically there were only two rooms, the bathroom and the rest of the floor. The kitchen and the living room, where he also slept, were only separated by a waist-high wall and a fence gate. The kitchen was bare aside from a few nonperishable, Nico usually didn't do his grocery shopping in bulk because he was never certain when he'd finish his missions. The living room was similar to the kitchen. Against the wall farthest from the kitchen was Nico's bed, which looked like some beat up mattress anyone could've found at the dump. In the middle of the living room was a large wooden table, upon which were his laptop, books, and various objects. To the right of the room was his closet and outside it two laundry baskets. To the left were a set of large paneled windows, which allowed Nico a decent view of the street below.

In the middle of signing and filling out forms, his cell began to ring. Glad to have something break the monotony, Nico earnestly answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Nico! Or should I say Mr. Promoter?"

"You start calling me that and I'll rearrange your jawline." There wasn't a hint of playfulness in Nico's voice. "What do you want, Dimitri? You wouldn't call me just to say dumb shit like that."

A chuckle came from across the line. "Oh, why wouldn't I? In fact, I just wanted to congratulate you! I mean it's pretty crazy, you're already a promoter and you've only been a trainee for not even a year! But you know what's even crazier?" He teased out the last sentence, clearly inviting Nico to ask.

"What?" Nico replied in an irritated tone.

"A level five Gastrea appeared in Japan's Tokyo Area the other day." Nico's jaw practically dropped to the floor when he heard Dimitri. "From the silence, I can assume I have your attention right? Anyways, nothing to worry about, they took it out with some railgun or something crazy like that. Although I gotta say, they were lucky to even have something like that on hand. Hmm? Still shocked? Cat got your tongue? Well I guess there's no point in talking to you now if you don't say anything… Bye, bye Nico!"

Nico was frozen still for at least a minute. It was a sudden load of information to take in, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. But he knew very well that just then, even if it had been for merely a second, he had never felt so much fear in his life before. Finally putting down the receiver, Nico sighed. "A level fucking five? Jesus Christ…The stress from just hearing that is gonna give me some damn white hairs."


	3. Chapter Three

**Author's Note:** _Alright, where do I begin? First of all, apologies, I've been dealing with some personal things but we're all good now. I probably should've released this chapter awhile ago but I'm kind of glad I didn't. Also, I've gone back and edited some things in chapter one and two. Some were things people have brought up in reviews that I agreed with and others were slight changes. I may do this every so often but I'm not really sure why I'm saying this. I really don't expect anyone reading this to go reread chapters they've already read just because they were a little polished up. Anyways, I'm releasing three and four now. If I go missing again, I'll be back, I promise._

* * *

 **The Outer District**

Nico hated how inconsistent public transportation could be. He strongly preferred to follow a schedule and whenever something went amiss with the aforementioned schedule, he'd mark his whole day ruined. So there he stood, arms crossed and foot tapping, impatient and irritated, leaning against the concrete wall that divided the station platforms. To make matters worse, today was especially chillier and windier than usual. Autumn was coming to a close, and a cold winter was looming close by, eager to take its place.

When the first train of the morning arrived, Nico's face was already numb and his lips chapped. He rushed in when the doors opened and sprawled out on the first few seats he saw; the early commute rarely had any other passengers, which probably explained why it never arrived on time.

While he hadn't seen her at first, Nico noticed a young woman sat across from him, her face buried in a book and headphones plugged into her ears. She most likely hadn't noticed him there at all, and if she did, she wasn't paying his obnoxious seating position any attention. What he could make out about her was that she had long, black hair, styled with a french braid and she wore glasses. She was wearing too many layers for him to make any assertion regarding her body, and he couldn't see her face behind the book. Disappointed, Nico turned his gaze towards the windows and the fleeting scenery of autumn.

Eventually, the train came to its final stop and Nico stood up. While the rest of the car was now empty, the girl who he had noticed earlier was still here. It felt a little odd to Nico, as people rarely ever came to the outer district unless they had some business there. Not to mention she was still reading her book too nor did she seem to have any intention of getting off this stop. He shook his head and brushed her off as someone who simply missed their stop. When the doors opened, a little kid, Nico guessed around the age of 10, was waiting to get on. The kid's face was hidden by a hoodie and the child quickly sidestepped by him to get on. Nico paid it little attention and went off to find the address he was given in the letter.

Nico had never been to this specific district, but he assumed that it was in at least feasible care, seeing as how they kept the Cursed Children here. The vast assortment of collapsed buildings quickly dispelled that notion. Yet, despite all of that, there was a lively attitude within the district. Typically from what Nico had seen, most outer districts were ghost towns or homeless people occupied them, both of which brought with them very somber atmospheres. But here it was different. The Cursed Children were loud, and most of all annoying. They leaped from ruin to ruin as if it were their own personal playground. They played hide and seek, tag, tug of war, it was like a permanent recess. Laughter and screams filled the streets as children ran past Nico, either staring at him curiously or ignoring him completely.

"I gotta take care of a kid like this?" he rubbed his neck. "What a pain in the ass…"

The closer he got to his destination, the quieter it became. Nico couldn't even spot a single kid within his line of sight. "Are they avoiding something?" he pondered.

Finally reaching the government facility, a security guard cautiously approached Nico, shouting for Nico to show him identification.

Nico pulled out his ID and papers from his pockets, and after the guard inspected them, he let Nico through the doors.

Inside, another security guard took Nico down the hall, down two flights of stairs and into a room that closely resembled an interrogation room. Every wall, ceiling, and floor Nico had walked by was painted in a bright, baby blue color and decorated randomly by clouds and stars. Nico was asked to take a seat at the table and then the guard disappeared back into the hallway. Annoyed, Nico put his head down on the table.

A few minutes later, a man wearing casual clothing walked into the room with a folder in hand. He smiled and nodded at Nico and then apologized for the wait.

"Nico Emery, yes? I've heard quite a bit about your accomplishments. I'm Paul Caiman, I'm in charge of facilitating the Cursed Children in this district." Mr. Caiman stuck his hand out and Nico shook it. "I'm sure you're busy so let's skip the rest of the pleasantries and get straight to business. We have a wide assortment of Cursed Children who would make capable Initiators for a Promoter such as yourself, take a look and tell me which ones interest you."

Mr. Caiman took some files out of the folder and spread them out on the table. Nico glanced at the files with indifference. "Who's the strongest one you have?"

Nico noticed Mr. Caiman sigh in response. His smile seemed to shrink. "Why don't you look over the papers and decide for yourself? Different Initiators have different capabilities and work better with different Promoters. You should pick one best suited to your style."

"My style?" Nico grinned. "Then give me the strongest one you got. I need someone who can hold their own in a fight. That's all, I don't wanna be babysitting on the job."

"Mr. Emery, I really do suggest you take a look at the files I've put in front of you and make your decision based on the information." A sign of irritation was showing in his voice.

"Look, I don't give a damn about that stuff. Honestly, whatever this Initiator shit is, I do not care. I'm only here cause if I don't bring back one of these kids with me, I'm going to get my ass chewed out tomorrow."

Trying to maintain a smile, Mr. Caiman reached into the folder. "If you're so dead set on this, take a look at this one, I warn you, though, she has a bad track record of working with Promoters. She's the only one we've ever gotten back, and numerous times to boot." Mr. Caiman pulled out one more file and slid it over to Nico. "Believe me, when I say that is not a good thing."

 _Nina Diaz / CC #1002 - Model Tiger Initiator_

 _#1002 possesses tremendous physical abilities and above average mental capabilities. She has shown promising potential in the field, although her proficiency as an Initiator does not correlate with her demonstrated skills. Four Promoters have had custody of #1002 over the course of two years, all of whom have been officially confirmed to have died in action. At this time, it is uncertain whether or not these deaths are purely coincidental or if #1002 is responsible. While autopsy reports have not found any indication that #1002 is responsible, it is reckless to dismiss the possibility that she may have had a hand in their deaths. Questioning #1002 does not reveal any further information regarding these cases. She is completely uncooperative and has shown hostility to those who have tried before. It is advised one administrates extreme precaution when handling #1002. Under normal circumstances, #1002 would have been labeled too dangerous and volatile and put down, but the benefits of being able to possibly harvest her potential far outweigh the disadvantages._

 _Her erosion rate, with the assistance of regular resistance shots, has been maintained at 24% and seems to be able to endure extensive combat at an exceptional level._

Nico looked up from the file at Mr. Caiman. He held the stare, making Mr. Caiman scrunch his face uncomfortably, and then broke into a devilish smile. "She's good."

Caiman just sat with a stunned look on his face, at this point he was wondering if Nico were either medically insane or trying to mess with him.

When Mr. Caiman regained his composure, he nodded to Nico, picked up the files and documents, and left the room.

Minutes later, a security guard emerged from outside the room and guided Nico back to the entrance of the building. Standing there, next to two more guards, was a little girl, no older than ten, with tattered robes and mangled dirty brown hair. Her eyes were a fierce, shimmering red, and she was visibly pissed, glaring into the ground with her arms shaking violently. But despite this, all Nico could think about was how she needed a shower, badly.

As he approached them, Nico was handed a suitcase, which he was informed held two month's supply of resistance shots.

"You're Nina, right? I'm Nico. I'm your Promoter from now on, we'll do some proper introductions later but I wanna get out of this dump so let's go."

His comment caught her attention and her eyes rose to meet Nico's, but it was not in a friendly manner. She scowled and took up a fighting stance, growling at him.

One of the guards behind her was about to strike with a taser but Nico swiftly grabbed his arm and stopped him. "I just got this kid, and you're already trying to hurt her? Come on man, is this how y'all do business? And you," he turned to face Nina, "I don't know what the hell is with your attitude but you better fix that shit if you're gonna start living under the same roof as me." Releasing the man's arm, Nico started out the door. Behind him, the child's red eyes calmed into a muddy brown and hesitantly, she began to follow him.

Nico thought things would brighten up when they were far enough from the facilities but that wasn't the case. Even after leaving the building, Nina had been walking with her head down like she was trying to avoid being seen. Even the Cursed Children seemed a little different than earlier. Whenever Nico would pass by they'd all stop and stare, instead of the majority ignoring him as they had previously. He looked back at Nina and realized that her presence must've been attracting attention, so he continued walking. Out of the corner of his eyes, Nico saw two children behind the rubble of a broken down building, staring much more intently than the others had been. Cautious of the situation, Nico prepped his hand on the holster of his gun, but he let down his guard when their little voices called out, "Nina!"

The kids came running out to her. They waved at but otherwise ignored Nico, and approached Nina, who still had her eyes plastered to the ground. They both looked distinctly younger in comparison to Nina, most likely just starting kindergarten if their fates had been just slightly different. What really caught Nico's attention though was the scar that ran down the length of one of the girl's cheeks. The one with the scar held a smile on her face while the other had a look of curiosity.

"So you're leaving again?" asked the girl with the scar. Nina only nodded in response.

"Bye-bye, Nina!" shouted the other girl, embracing Nina tightly. The act of affection caught Nina by surprise, as her head looked up with wide eyes. She made a gentle, yet somber smile and hugged her back. "When are you coming back?" The young girl who had just hugged her flashed a large smile as she asked that question.

The smile on Nina's face flattened slightly, but she made sure her eyes gave nothing away. "Soon, maybe..." This was the first time Nico had heard her speak, and the softness of her voice surprised him.

When the girls were done exchanging their goodbyes, Nico and Nina made their way back to the train station and hopped on to the next train back to the city. Nico was glad to be headed back home, although he wondered how Nina felt about the whole situation, after all, the only home she ever knew was the Outer District. A part of him couldn't stop thinking about the two girls from before and their talk with Nina. He wondered who exactly they were to her, and the sort of relationship they must've had. Oddly enough, he found these words escaping his mouth, "So, you wanna go back, don't you?" Nina ignored him or pretended she couldn't hear him from the sound of the train, but a scowl was evident on her face. He was slightly irritated.

"What? You act like you won't be able to see your friends again." At those words, Nina's head and eyes perked up. She looked at him skeptically, not quite sure what to make of her new Promoter. She waited for him to say more, but neither of them spoke for the remaining duration of the ride.


	4. Chapter Four

**Authors Note:** _I just want to say, I am actually really excited for this story. I am constantly thinking about it and hopefully, you guys will come to enjoy it as much as I am currently. Also, shout out to Grammarly for catching all of my dumb mistakes and making my life 100x easier. But I say that and then it manages to annoy me. If there are grammar mistakes here my apologies, the constant strain of red under my protagonist's name is killing me right now._

* * *

 **Obligations**

If nothing else, one thing was clear, neither of them wanted to be here. Both Initiator and Promoter laid slumped, spread eagle on opposite couches with bored and irritated expressions on their faces.

Doug leaned back in his chair and tried to stifle his laughter. "What the hell is this?" he asked, slapping his thighs. "You guys are already perfectly in sync! It's like a match made in heaven!"

"With this punk? My ass we do, man." Nico sighed in exasperation, "She's like a goddamn mute, too! How the hell am I supposed to work with this?" He very animatedly pointed a finger across the room.

Unimpressed with Nico's outburst, Nina stared back blankly, not moving even an inch of her body from its comfortable sprawled out position.

Looking on completely amused, Doug nodded his head vigorously with a grin, "I'm sure you two have your own thoughts, but I think this is gonna turn out to be a great partnership." His words were met with silence and a scoff. "Anyways..." Doug began gripping the stress toy on his desk, "What do you plan on doing after this, Nico? It's not like I have any assignments for you today."

"Beats me, I've got the whole day freed up."

"In that case, you should buy some clothes for lil' Nina over there. I mean look at her, she's still wearing the rags from the facilities."

"I barely have enough cash for food, let alone buying clothes for a kid."

Doug, as always, was not so easily deterred. He rummaged through his desk drawers and tossed something at Nico. "Consider this an advance on your pay. Now go buy something that makes it so she doesn't look like she just came out from working in the mines."

Nico groaned as he caught the wad of cash. He shook his head in disbelief and then rose from his seat. "Yo, Nina. Let's go."

She remained spread on the couch, as if she hadn't heard him. The young girl yawned and sank further into the cushions.

"Oh! I forgot," Doug spoke up suddenly, reached into one of his desk drawers and threw a pair of old, beaten up sneakers at Nico's feet. "Can't have her walking around barefoot either.".

"Why do- Nevermind… Let's go." He grabbed the girl by the edge of her robes and pulled her off the couch, forcing her to quickly adjust onto her feet so that she wouldn't fall. Her hand balled into a fist and struck at Nico, but her Promoter was already halfway out the door. Reluctantly, shoes in hand, she followed.

With the nearing winter, the morning streets were cold and chilly. Nico was dressed for the weather, but Nina had only a set of rags to cover her. Although she tried her best to hide it, Nico noticed how every now and then Nina's small body would shake and shudder.

Nico's eyes searched the street, but he wasn't confident he was going to find any clothing stores within the nearby area, and the street vendors weren't going to be out during this time of day, especially in the cold season. Yet, Nico's attention was drawn to something. It was a thrift store, presumably new, as he had never seen it before. He grabbed Nina's hand, which was already freezing cold, and dragged her into the store.

A blast of hot, warm air welcomed them. He let go of Nina's hand and turned to her, "Okay, go around and find a few clothes you want. Stick to warm and cheap, aight?" Without even acknowledging him, and much to Nico's exasperation, the little Initiator wandered off on her own.

"The young ones are always a bit troubling, are they not?" said a voice behind him. It sounded old and gentle, but the unexpectedness of it startled him. "My, my, sorry to scare you like that."

It was an old woman, no older than eighty, but no younger than seventy, Nico thought so at least. Silver hair trailed down from her head like overgrown vines left unkept. Her face was defined by wrinkles and spots, but her smile had a tranquil, comforting nature to it.

"To have a daughter at your age, why I hope you're ready for the challenge ahead." Her tone of voice seemed to lecture him, disagreeing completely with the plastered smile.

Taken aback by her sudden remark, Nico was audibly stunned for a moment. "Umm, she's not my daughter," he somehow managed to fumble out.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" The old woman looked around briefly as if she were checking that no one was around and then continued. "Some women these days! Sleeping around and then forcing the baby onto another man, and at your age too! But it's great of you to take on that responsibility, sweetheart."

Nico was at a loss for words. The assumptions this crow kept making left him speechless. He didn't even think he looked old enough to look like a dad. Fortunately for him, her attention suddenly shifted focus from the flabbergasted teen. Nico felt a tug on his pants leg and he looked down to see Nina holding a bundle of clothing.

"My, my, aren't you adorable?" The old lady approached Nina, attempting to pat her on the head. But Nina swatted the hand away. She responded with a gasp, clearly shocked that any child would act in such a manner. Her smile disappeared completely and a scowl formed on her face. She seemed on the verge of scolding Nina, but Nico quickly cut in.

"Why don't you just ring us up now?" While Nico tried to suppress his laughter, an ill-mannered grin spread across his face.

Grumpily, the old lady walked around the counter. She reluctantly checked out the clothes that Nina had given to Nico.

"Wow, these are pretty cheap aren't they?" he said out of surprise. Nico knew he had told her to watch the price, but he didn't expect a little girl to thrift so well. "Is this like one of your hidden talents or something?" he chuckled mockingly and turned to Nina. She wasn't there. In fact, the young girl wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Your total is $20.78…" The old woman clapped her hands against the counter, her already short supply of patience running dry.

"Ah, right…" Handing over the money, Nico grabbed both bags of clothes and hurried out of the store, believing that Nina had headed out before him. Nina was nowhere to be seen.

"She better not have run off…" Grumbling, Nico hoped he hadn't managed to lose track of his troublesome partner.

Moments later, Nina peeked her head out of the store, locked eyes with Nico, then quickly strolled out towards him in a sort of fixed, stiff motion. There was a slight urge for Nico to question her, but figuring she wouldn't answer anyway, he ignored it and started back home.

As soon as they arrived back at the apartment, Nina locked herself in the bathroom with her new selection of clothes. Nico had no complaints, happy to have some time to himself.

"If there's nothing else to do today…" Nico murmured, walking into the kitchen and peeking into the fridge. He saw enough inside to make a basic meal for two. Laying out a head of broccoli, some packaged meat, and half a carrot on the counter, Nico washed down a knife and went to work.

The smell of a faint fire coming from the kitchen caught Nina's attention when she finally left the restroom. Curious, the Initiator made room for herself on the kitchen counter, observing as her new Promoter uneventfully watched over the boiling vegetables. The boiling of vegetables being a task that required little attention, Nico took a moment to look towards Nina, wondering about her new look. Instead of her tattered robes, Nina was now wearing a dark red sweater and sweatpants. "Looks like you're wearing a jumper," he commented.

From her lackluster reaction, different from her usual lack of reaction, Nico figured she didn't quite understand what the word meant. Before he could explain, the alarm on his cell went off. The sound was distinct from when someone called him.

"Don't touch anything," he told Nina as he went to check on his phone.

Somewhat irritated by his tone, she felt an impulse to mess with the stove. Her hand reached for the heat knob but she was startled by Nico's sudden voice.

"Turn the stove off and put lids on the pots, we need to be somewhere, _now_."

Although she had already been planning to turn off the stove, now that Nico wanted her to do so, Nina felt reluctant. But the urgency in his words managed to sway her.

Before Nina had managed to even slip into her shoes, Nico was already halfway out the door. "Hurry up!" He barked at her.

Nina wondered how long they'd been running. While she could easily keep her current pace for far longer, she was impressed with how Nico was holding. Although it was obvious some faint fatigue was beginning to set in, his strides did not break.

Nico pulled out his phone, something he had done several times since they left the apartment, and glanced over the screen quickly. "After this corner ahead of us, get ready." His words were breathy, but his tone got through to Nina. As soon as they turned the corner, the young Promoter switched his grip from his phone to the gun holstered on his belt.

The duo happened to turn onto an empty street, but they did not relax. Nico scanned his surroundings, his eyes darting back and forth. While there seemed nothing suspicious with the immediate area, he observed that the end of the road, the street split off left and right, a tall concrete wall blocking any area straight ahead. With tense steps, Nico kept forwards with Nina at his back. It seemed he didn't need to tell his new partner how to proceed, she was experienced after all. Further ahead, a sound similar to a car being crushed caught Nico's attention. "Up ahead!" He sprinted towards it.

If he had run any slower, he would've been dead. Nico's swift reaction threw himself into the wall in front of him. He barely made out what previously was the hood of a car whizzing past his ear. While it hurt to throw oneself shoulder first into a solid concrete, it was obvious to him having one's face decapitated would hurt far more.

Quickly readjusting his eyes to the situation in front of him, Nico tensed. It hadn't noticed Nico's sudden tumble, but standing plain in view was a deer Gastrea, mutated several sizes larger than that of a regular animal. The beast's fur was tangled and overgrown as if shrubbery covered its exterior flesh. Its antlers were larger, edges seemingly far sharper than its regular counterpart. Instead of piercing or cutting him, if those things made contact, he knew they'd cut him clean apart. From how quick the car's hood flew at him and the size of its legs, there was no doubt in Nico's mind that a solid collision would be nearly fatal. For some reason it was already bleeding, several small bullet holes puncturing its thick body, but none in meaningful places.

A temporary sense of relief swept his body, but when he realized what the mutant had fixed its gaze on, the tension and adrenaline returned. Back against the remains of the wall, bleeding from the stomach, and clutching what was left of his left arm was a person, a male. From a glance, he was certainly older than Nico, and his wrangled blonde hair was stained with deep red blood, different from that of the Gastrea's. To Nico's surprise, the man sat there with a wide, almost delirious grin on his face.

Instinctively, the promoter's arms rose, finger smashing into the trigger. A gravelly whine reverberated through the air. A dark purple liquid splattered and dripped against the ground, blood from a freshly formed gash across the mutant deer's temple.

The young Promoter knew it was only a matter of time before the Gastrea's focus would shift towards him. While the Gastrea thrashed its head and neck about, Nico rose to his feet, holding a steady aim on the beast. He started to inch closer, but before Nic could take another step, a slight figure flew in between the Gastrea and the wounded Promoter. Like flames, her hair waved in the air as she swooped down from the roof above. Even from this distance, Nico could see the red glare in her eyes, but instead of the anger and irritation, he was so familiar with, panic and distress framed these eyes.

A swift kick came down across the snout of the already upset Gastrea, but it was apparent that close quarter combat was not this girl's forte. While her kick seemed to daze the deer temporarily, she landed far from gracefully, flat on her back, completely exposed to the Gastrea along with the man beside her. That was when Nico realized she was an Initiator, and the man most likely a Promoter. The Gastrea stomped the ground, pummeling the concrete beneath it, and lifted a leg towards the now defenseless Initiator.

Nico shot and shouted. The sound of his firearm already muffled his words, but "Nin-" was all he managed to say before a gust of wind caught his face and a blur of red dashed out of the corner of his eye.

With her foot splitting the concrete, Nina launched herself shoulder first into the lower side of the Gastrea's gut. The unexpected collision sweep the unbalanced deer Gastrea off its feet, Nina's power and momentum taking it crashing down onto a nearby pile of rubble. Not letting a second to waste, Nina reorientated herself mid-air, smashing a leg down on the Gastrea's body and springing back to safety. Her eyes were a fearsome red, and her breathing was heavy.

Nico cut in between the toppled over Gastrea and the Promoter and Initiator pair that Nina had just saved. "Get him somewhere safe!" His voice was harsh, hesitating so close to the beast was not an option. He fired into the Gastrea's exposed neck, which caused the body to jerk violently, legs swinging in every possible direction. Debris nearly hit him, but Nico was reacting well. He trusted that those two had managed to flee somewhere safe, solely focused on the danger in front of him.

"Nina!" He called out, but she was already on it. The Initiator brought down ferocious power, driving a bone-shattering double-legged stomp into the Gastrea's hind legs. It's deafening whines echoed out in shattered breaks, legs and body gradually losing responsiveness.

Even through his clothes, he could feel the hot stench of the Gastrea's breath run between his legs. It's glaring crimson eyes blinked, fading ever so slightly in color, as Nico approached the beast. A faint whimper fell from its snout, followed by the crackle and lingering smell of gunpowder.

"Nina." The young Promoter turned to find his Initiator stood atop a hill of rubble, staring intently at the fallen Gastrea. "Come on, we're going to search for those two."

"Over there," mumbled Nina, eyes still glued on the monster, but pointing to the exposed wall of a nearby building.

Nico huffed, a sort of tolerance directed at his Initiator, and went ahead.

Corridor after corridor, hallway after hallway, Nico searched until he heard their panicked and sharp breathing. He sat against the wall, hand clutched to his side while she fixed together a makeshift bandage. Nico saw him put his hand out towards hers and shake his head.

"It's too late for that now," the grimaces from the pain betrayed his soft tone. The older man reached into what appeared to be a holster by his back. He pulled out the gun and handed it to the red-haired girl. The brave ember eyes from before were now a smothered out black. Hesitantly, she grabbed onto the gun, clutching it clumsily to her seemingly fragile chest.

The man choked out a laugh, a splutter of blood following out of his mouth. He smiled and readjusted the gun in her hands, aiming it at himself. "There's not much time left, hurry," he pleaded, still smiling.

Having seen enough, Nico stepped forward, but the patter of footsteps was already ahead of him.

The girl shook, her arms shook, her legs shook, her knees buckled. Her eyes snapped shut and she turned away. But before she pulled the trigger, the gun was snatched from her trembling hands. Nina growled, jamming the barrel of the gun against the man's head. Her eyes the color of his leaking blood. He looked past Nina, her furious eyes, and the gun, prompting Nina to push harder, smashing his dome against the wall.

"Enough," interjected Nico, grabbing onto his Initiator's firing arm. "Give me the gun." Her finger remained latched onto the trigger. "Give me the fucking gun." Hostility and anger spilled out with each word. He yanked the gun out of her hand, Nina relenting.

"Get her out of here," he motioned at the red-haired girl, crumpled on her knees.

Nina tugged at the girl's shirt, but she wouldn't budge. "She won't move," spoke Nina matter-of-factly.

"I'm not repeating myself again, GET HER OUT OF HERE." Plainly, Nina picked up the still and inanimate girl, turned towards a window and made her own exit out of the building.

The man, ragged in cloth, face, and body, looked up at the young promoter. "So you'll be the one, huh? Either way, you better hur-"

Bullet shells had already hit the floor. Purple blood oozed down from his wounds, overwhelming the small pool of red.

"I fucking heard you the first time," muttered an exasperated Nico, collapsing against the wall behind him. "Kids shouldn't have to deal with crap like this."


	5. Chapter Five

**Author's Note:** _Hello, hello. So I disappeared again for four months but I'm back - at least for now. Unfortunately, I don't have much to show for these four months of absence aside from a mere chapter, and not even a long one at that. Personally, I'm not too fond of how this chapter turned out. Not a fan of rough transitions in setting, to be honest. That being said, I'm glad to be over with this chapter and to get it out. So, the last time I said I was excited about this fic, I ended up peacing out on yall, but - knock on wood - I'm definitely excited to get working on the chapters after this. They'll be longer too, maybe._

* * *

 **White Daze**

Nico sank into the chair, his head practically submerged into the leather cushion supporting his back. A conveyor belt of questions floated in and out his ears, but he was too spaced out to register the words. The white walls, ceiling, and floor, a continuous stream of blankness hiding where one began and other ended, put his mind into a sedated state. He couldn't focus at all, words drifting out of his mouth like generic, rehearsed phrases.

The young promoter stepped out into the hallway still slightly disoriented. His eyes reached out to his surroundings, reacclimating themselves to the array of colors. A moment passed before he walked back to the waiting room lobby.

Eyes darted towards Nico when he stepped into the room. As he waved goodbye to the receptionist, he felt the presence of small feet walking next to him. Glancing down, he met Nina's curious stare. "Why are you always gone so long?"

Although it was becoming less of a rare occurrence, it still threw him off whenever Nina decided to speak. He looked ahead and paused for a moment before stumbling out, "They were asking a lot of questions. And why do you ask this every time? You know what I'm here for, I shot that dude last week. They're trying to see if there's a problem or if something's up with me." His words rambled, not entirely sure how to explain it to the ten year old and tired of her repetitive question.

"Is that why the food was bad last night? There's a problem?"

"Huh?" Nico's face was incredulous. "What?"

"It tasted bad," she said casually.

"Do you want to cook instead, then?" He retorted.

The Initiator's face scrunched as if in deep thought. She turned face from Nico, picking up pace towards the exit without a word of reply.

He grabbed Nina by the back of her collar, holding her to a stop. "By the way, we're going to meet up with someone now."

Nico released his grasp, cutting ahead of Nina. The young girl drilled her muddy eyes into her Promoter's fleeting back.

"Where?" She asked, catching up to him.

Nina had seen most of the New Greater Boston area by now, except for Central City. Pristine, well-maintained buildings, small shops, and large business offices alike, busy packs of people flowing through pedestrian traffic, and the constant surge of vehicles on the road - when Nina stepped off the bus, her head couldn't stop turning.

"Is it always like this here?" Her voice held a hint of wonder. But in an instant, the heavy and distinct scent of cigarettes and car exhaust filled Nina's nostrils; she went to cover her nose.

"I'm not around here too much, but from what I've seen, yeah" Nico replied, his attention diverted towards his phone. "Do you like this kind of atmosphere or something?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"Your voice sounds a little funny."

She took her hand off. "No, it doesn't."

Without continuing the conversation, Nico briefly peered up from his phone and motioned for Nina to follow him.

Much to Nico's annoyance, Nina was lagging behind. She clumsily and awkwardly navigated through the streets, casually walking and bumping into shoulders, stomachs, and legs. The Initiator made little effort to weave and skirt around like her Promoter was doing. It wasn't bothering Nina, but there were few others that shared the sentiment. Glancing back, Nico scowled as the little girl displaced person after person, knocking others off balance and causing more chaos amongst the crowd.

He turned back and grabbed the girl's hand. Yanking her along with a tight grip, Nico grunted, "Walk faster."

With Nico's forced assistance, the duo promptly found themselves in front of a quaint and small flower shop.

Nina peered up at Nico, a puzzled look on her face. "Here?"

"Just get in." Nico quickly ushered the girl through the door.

Much like it was her first time in the central city, it was also Nina's first time inside a flower shop. While it wasn't the sort of meeting place Nina expected, she could not complain. It smelled far better in here than it did on the streets, and for its size, it was spacious.

"Hello?" A vibrant feminine voice called out. Coming out of the backroom was a young woman with swampy green eyes, short brown hair, and a wide, dimpled smile. Upon seeing one of the people awaiting her, her smile broke into a huge grin. "Nico!" She wasted no time shuffling around the counter, giving him a big hug.

"Hey, Val. It's been awhile," Nico replied, smiling and returning the embrace.

"Oh? Who's this?" Looking over Nico's shoulder, Val's eyes met with Nina's.

"Oh yeah, I'll introduce you. Her name's Nina, she's-"

Val grasped Nico's shoulders with a brazen grin. "It's okay, buddy. I don't judge. But… this young?"

Nico's eyes and smile tightened and an arm shot up to grab Val's. "Could you repeat that?"

"Wooah, scary stuff." Having had her fun teasing the Promoter, Val's attention shifted towards the young girl. "Hi, Nina. I'm Val. You can think of me like an older sister, alright?"

"She's my Initiator." Nico finished.

"I figured. I heard from Dimitri. And I can't think of any other reason why you'd be dragging a little girl around with you." She took another look at Nina, blatant curiosity in her eyes. "Do you mind telling me what type of Initiator you are?"

Nina shied away from the question, skirting over to Nico's side.

"Model Tiger," Nico answered for her.

"So like a cat?" Val paused to look at him. "No tail? Ears?"

"Don't start."

"Alright," Val chuckled. "I'm a little jealous, but you're here for Dimitri right? I'll stop taking up your time." Following those words, her lips lifted into a slight grin and she nudged the bridge of her nose.

Nico opened his mouth as if to retort but then paused. Instead, he simply exhaled, his body visually contracting.

"Stay with your 'big sister' for a bit." Rolling his eyes at the words, Nico detached himself from Nina, leaving her in Val's care as he disappeared into the backroom.

In Nico's absence, Nina stood awkwardly in place fumbling with her hands, her eyes wandering the shop. They found themselves onto Val's. Val, looking intently towards the Initiator with her brow raised, asked the little girl, "Do you like flowers?"

Click. Clack. The keyboard's chatter was all Nico could hear as he headed down into the cellar. "You're literally this close to being in your mother's basement," the Promoter quipped.

"It's my sister's, and you know I don't even live here, Emery," called out a voice from farther in.

It belonged to Dimitri Booker, the closest Nico had to a childhood friend. "That being said, I own a house. You're still stuck in that shitty apartment, aren't you?" his voice continued.

"Hey, I'm getting up there man." Nico walked over to Dimitri and sat down on an adjacent desk. "So, you dragged my ass all the way out here just so to tell me something. It's important, right?"

Dimitri kept his attention on the laptop, his fingers still tapping away at the keys. "You're actually talking to me normally, and here I thought you'd still be pissed about me teasing you the other day." He shut down the laptop, spinning his chair to face Nico.

"That was a week ago and it's hard to be mad after… " His eyes and voice wandered and waned, not wanting to continue. Nico felt unclear as to why he tacked that last bit on.

From the look on Dimitri's face, it was clear he wanted to know more, but after making eye contact with Nico he pushed the conversation along. "Alright, there's actually a very important reason I called you here. You know about the incident that happened in your city last week? The one with the Gastrea that somehow managed to get past the Monoliths?"

Nico nodded, fully aware of what transpired there. "What do you know about it?"

Much to the Promoter's surprise, Dimitri, of all people, looked hesitant to answer. "Well, good news first. It didn't get by the Monoliths, so you can cross that worry off."

"The hell do you mean it didn't get by?" Nico replied in turn, his body pulling closer towards Dimitri. Originally, he hadn't given much thought to how the Gastrea managed to sneak into the city, but now he was fully attentive.

"Botched experiment. We fucked up the transportation and it ended up getting loose in your city." Dimitri held back his tongue.

"That doesn't explain jack to me. And who's we? You telling me you're responsible somehow?"

"Don't jump the fucking gun. Higher-ups at both of our companies have been pulling strings trying to get this under wraps." Dimitri rose with pace. "At the Civil Security's request, we're working on a drug that mimics the Gastrea's abilities. I can't let on much more, but as you can see _that_ happens if we mess up. Anyways, it wasn't some new super Varanium-immune Gastrea, so rest easy."

"Yeah," Nico scoffed. "Tell that to the general public, I'm sure they'll sleep well knowing y'all are running shady experiments right in their own backyards."

"I doubt that would benefit either of us." Dimitri sighed.

"Look man. I just don't know. You pop this info on me and how am I supposed to react? I'm just trying to keep my composure right now." The Promoter was at a loss. He had not expected this, or even anything near it.

"And I appreciate you not freaking out. It's really not something to worry about. We're professionals, we wouldn't be getting mixed into this if we weren't confident in our success." Dimitri spoke in a rush, trying to reassure Nico.

"I'd be a little more inclined to believe you if I hadn't-" Nico cut his words short.

"Don't tell me you-"

"Fine, I got it," the Promoter interrupted. "If that's all, I need some air. Peace."

"Wait," Dimitri continued. "Don't tell anybody, not your supervisors, not your Initiator, nobody, alright?

"She wouldn't even listen to me in the first place," Nico replied dismissively.

Coming up the stairs and out of the backroom, Nico looked around for Nina. He saw her kneeling by a display of white flowers, fixed on their scent. Val stood close, gleefully sharing her knowledge of the flower with a distracted Nina. "Yo," Nico called out, walking over to the pair. Neither seemed to notice him. "Hello?" He tried again, to no avail.


End file.
